Enchilada Pie

If you like Mexican food, you'll enjoy this recipe.

It's one of the favorites in the family recipe binder.

The bonus is that it's easy and quick.

 Pictured here are two variations,

one for meat eaters and a meatless rendition.

It's kinda like a Mexican lasagna.

What's not to like?

A ceramic casserole is the perfect container for this meal.

Everything you like goes in...

and yumminess comes out.

The vegetarian version is packed with beans, cheese

and homemade gravy (tomato sauce).

This is happily consumed the next day for lunch.

The two concoctions adapted here

are from a cookbook featuring make-ahead meals.

They can be constructed and put in the freezer

for another day.

Give one of 'em a go!

Enchilada Pie

(meat version)

(Frozen Assets)

1 lb. ground chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 C frozen/fresh corn

1 C cheddar cheese, shredded

1 C gravy (tomato sauce)

1 t salt

1 T chili powder

6 flour tortillas

1/2 C water

Brown chicken and onion, add seasonings and gravy.

In 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of buttered tortillas,

gravy, meat and cheese.

Add 1/2 C water.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

***For the meatless version, I simply substituted 1 1/2 C of pinto beans

that had been previously cooked and kept in the freezer.

I also added 1 t of cumin to each recipe.

***For a gluten-free, dairy-free version,

substitute brown rice tortillas and rice cheese.

Enjoy!

One Simple Thing-It's a Date!

Got leftovers?

It's a good idea to date leftovers

to make sure they are consumed in a timely manner.

We usually have leftovers one night a week for supper,

but most of them are eaten as lunches

the day after the original meal.

In any case, by dating the contents of the containers,

food doesn't get wasted,

and no worries about eating food that's gone bad.

I don't know about you,

but I'd rather leave science experiments in the lab.

As I usually make several versions of the same meal

because of dietary necessity,

it's helpful to mark not only the date,

but which version of the meal is contained within.

Here's the vegetarian enchilada pie from Tuesday night

(recipe to be posted tomorrow).

Easy to know what needs reheating.

 

One Simple Thing

Wordless Wednesday

Stormy Bloomin' Tuesday

The events of the past few days have been sobering.

We were spared major damage,

while some of our neighbors were not so fortunate.

The tornado touched down just three doors away.

Two of Lil' Guys gal pals down the street

had left on vacation the day before the storm.

Their home is in need of major repair.

We are so grateful that they were not home

when the twister struck.

We are counting our blessings

and sharing what we have this week.

Not many blooms, but most plants will recover.

rattleboxes toppled

our new bamboo screen still standing

ageratum blown over with strong winds

cosmos laid out flat

another trellis made it through

water is slowly receding

one calm scene among the upset

daisies will bounce back

impatients safely tucked in a basket fared well

This guy spent most of the last few days

outside of our screened porch,

but found his way to a safe haven on the plumbego.

We hope all of you are enjoying summer weather

that's a little less exciting than what we've had here lately.

We also hope to have some lovely blooms next week

after this blessing of rain, rain, rain!

Take care out there!

Roasting Peanuts

We have peanuts growing in our yard.

They aren't ready for harvesting,

but we did find some at our local farmer's market.

Homemade peanut  butter is so much tastier

than store bought.

The first step to this yummy treat is roasting the nuts.

It's easy, quick,

and adds a depth of flavor to your nut butter.

Place unshelled peanuts on baking sheet

lined with parchment paper

and cook at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tornado Touched Down

A tornado touched down in our neighborhood

about an hour ago.

We're okay, but it's gonna be a long night.

Lil' Guy is already nestled in the closet for the evening.

Please keep us in prayer if you are so inclined.

Thanks and God bless...

Friday Fotos

I have finally figured out how to create collages!

Whoooopeeeee!

Simple things fill my heart...

Enjoy your weekend, y'all!

Summer Solstice

It's the beginning of a new season.

So far it's been pleasantly mild,

even allowing for gardening during daylight hours.

Here's hoping your summer is just the way you like it...

Storms make the oak grow deeper roots.

-George Herbert  

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.

-Sir John Lubbock 

What do I want to take home from my summer vacation?

Time.

The wonderful luxury of being at rest.

The days when you shut down the mental machinery that keeps life on track and let life simply wander.

The days when you stop planning, analyzing,

thinking and just are.

Summer is my period of grace.

-Ellen Goodman  

The non permanent appearance of happiness and distress,

and their disappearance in due course,

are like the appearance and disappearance

of summer and winter seasons.

-Bhagavad Gita

Walk tall as the trees, live strong as the mountains,

be gentle as the spring winds,

keep the warmth of the summer sun

in your heart, and the great spirit will always be with you.

-American Indian Proverb, unknown tribe

All quotes found here.

Wordless Wednesday

Bloomin' Tuesday

Well, it's feast or famine around here with regard to the weather.

No rain scheduled in the forecast for the next few days.

Here's what the downpours of last week helped bring up.

watermelon is blooming now on the tepee

beautyberry is finally producing buds

this pineapple has had tremendous growth since

we had steady rain and I removed a few other plants around it

Hope you get a good dose of rain

on this Bloomin' Tuesday!